In a Senate floor statement today, Republican leader Mitch McConnell hammered majority leader Harry Reid for failing to deliver on his commitment to confirm at least three federal appellate nominees by Memorial Day. McConnell contrasted Reid’s failure with former majority leader Trent Lott’s fulfillment of a commitment to vote on Clinton nominees in 2000. Unlike Reid, Lott was “true to his word” and “understood that commitments in this body are not to be taken lightly, especially when they are made by the Majority Leader.”

McConnell particularly faulted Reid for trying to move recent Sixth Circuit nominee (and former Clinton nominee) Helene White—whose ABA report has still not been received—instead of nominees, such as Peter Keisler (D.C. Circuit) and Robert Conrad (Fourth Circuit), much further along in the process: “These nominees were, in effect, on the two-yard line, and could easily have been picked and confirmed.” And, signaling that the battle will escalate, McConnell closed by stating that Republican senators’ “frustration … will manifest itself in the coming days, and will persist until we get credible evidence that the Majority will respect Minority rights and treat judicial nominees fairly.”